An Ivy League-born company heads to Chester County with $11 million plans, over 40 jobs

Princeton NuEnergy, a battery recycling company founded five years ago at Princeton University, will bring 41 jobs to Chester County with an investment of $11 million.

Gov. Henry McMaster’s office and the South Carolina Department of Commerce announced the new business Thursday. Princeton NuEnergy will work out of a 25,000-square-foot facility at 564 Ecology Lane in Chester.

The facility should be operational in the third quarter of this year.

The building is the ShayoNano property. In fall of 2018, nanomaterial maker ShayoNano announced a nearly $15 million project for the site to produce synthesized additives used in paints, coatings and fire retardants.

The building on 22 acres hit the real estate market in December. Though it isn’t listed now, online county land records still list ShayoNano as the owner.

Manufacturing jobs coming to Chester County with $14.7M investment

About Princeton NuEnergy

Princeton NuEnergy will recycle lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles and manufacturing scrap.

It will produce advanced blackmass — a mix of metals and other materials from recycling that can be used to create new batteries. It also will make cathode active material, also used for new batteries.

The process allows for lower-cost battery production compared to traditional recycling, according to the Commerce Department.

The Chester County site will be the first in South Carolina for the company.

The state is vying to be a leader in the electric vehicle industry and the Chester site will serve a growing number of auto manufacturers transitioning to electric, company co-founder Chao Yan said in Thursday’s announcement.

Chester County Council members toured a pilot production facility in Texas.

The company is committed to safety and sustainable development, said Chester County Council Chairman Joe Branham in the news release Thursday. The county continues to see new opportunities in the electric vehicle industry, he said.

Anyone interested in working for the company can find information on its career page, at pnecycle.com.